Lakers Down Denver, 92-88, Take 3-1 Series Lead - East Idaho News
Sports

Lakers Down Denver, 92-88, Take 3-1 Series Lead

  Published at

1 4%20Kobe?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1336373170652Christian Petersen/Getty Images(DENVER) — It was Kobe Bryant’s trust of his teammates in crucial minutes in the fourth quarter that won the game for the Lakers on Sunday to give them a 3-1 series lead over the Nuggets.

Bryant had 22 points and Andrew Bynum added 19 to help the Lakers overcome a six-point halftime deficit and hand the Nuggets a 92-88 loss at home.  Bryant put the Lakers up by four with under three-minute remaining on a jumper but it was the next two possessions that were key.

Ramon Sessions nailed a three-pointer, followed by a Steve Blake three that put the game away in the final seconds.

“Sessions has hit big 3s. Even when I was out he hit some big 3s to win games. He did it again tonight. I have confidence in him,” Bryant said. “If you’re observing the game in the third quarter I hit Sessions for an open shot, Blake for an open shot and (Matt) Barnes for an open shot and they missed all three of them. George (Karl), being observant as he is, saw I was (ticked). I was and didn’t think I would trust them at the end of the game to knock down those shots, but they stepped up and knocked them down.”

Los Angeles will look to wrap the series up Tuesday at home.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION